Railway-chronograph



i N0- 623,569 Patented Apr. 25, |899.

- H. G. SEDGWICK.

RAILWAY CHRONOGRAPH.

(Application led my 12, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-$heet l.

Patented Apr. 25, i899.

H. I?. SEDGWICK.

RAILWAY CHRONOGRAPH.

(Application filed May 12, 1898.)

lJID Model.)

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U NTTED STATES PATENT EEECE.

HIRAM G. SEDGWICK, OF DES MOINES, lOlVA.

RAILWAY-CHRONOGRAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,569, dated April 25, 1899,

Application filed May 12, 1898. Serial No. 680,504. (No model.)

Be it known that I, HIRAM G. SEDGW1cK,a citizen of the United States, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Chronographs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying the preferred form of my invention; Fig. 2, a view ofthe opposite side of the machine; Fig. 3, a plan View thereof. Fig, L'l is a vertical transverse section on the line ll 4E of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a detail view showing the lever and pawl operating the bell-ringer punch; Fig. G, a detail view showing the feed rollers for feeding the tape and registering the minute-marks thereon; Fig.' 7, a detail plan view of aroller carrying the teeth or punches for registering the minute-marks upon the tape; Fig. 8, a view of a portion of the tape as it appears after passing through the machine; and Figs. 9 aud l0, detail perspective views of the rotary punch and its die, Fig. 10 showing a slight modification.

rlhe object of this invention is to provide a simple machine especially for use in locomotive-cabs, whereby a permanent and continuous record will be kept as to when and how many` times the engineer` blows his whistle and at what time he may ring his bell, the devices being connected to 'the whistle and bell-cords, so that the recording will be done automatically, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

Broadl y speaking, the invention consists of means for carrying and suitable clockwork for continuously moving a suitable paper or other record tape, in combination with suit'- able punches or other marking devices adapted to be operated by the pull of the whistle and bell cords, whereby the exact time of whistling and ringing will be reported on the tape.

It further consists of suitable means whereby in addition to the time of whistling the number of times the whistle is operated will be indelibly recorded upon the tape, as hereinafter set forth.

A further object is to provide the feed-rollers with simple means for indelibly record- -ignates the record-tape, carried by the two spools band c, the latter being journaled upon a horizontal non-rotative shaft d and the former being journaled upon a driven shaft c and both being held against a too-free rotation on their shafts by suitable springsf and regulating setscrews g on the ends of the shaft. By means of said springs and setscrews .the frictional engagement of the spools with the shafts may be nicely regulated, so that the tape will be kept at the proper tension at all times irrespective of the amount of tape wound on each spool. As shown by the arrows, the tape is wound from spool e onto spool l), this latterspool being connected up by suitable gearing 7L with a spring-motor if.

It will be obvious that by reason of the frictional engagement of the receiving-spool l) with its shaft said spool will be permittedto slip if the shaft be rotated faster than the tape comes from the feed-rolls, thereby keeping the tape tautat all times. In the same manner the feed-spool c is permitted to slip on its shaft with only sufficient freedom to prevent the tape becoming slack.

The tape is drawn through the machineV by means of three feed-rolls j, one of these rolls being journaled above the tape and the other two below the same, the tape passing between the upper roll and the two lower rolls, said upper roll being supported on a line between the two lower rolls, so that the three rolls grasp the tape and insure regularity of feed. The shaft of the upper roll is fixed to the end of an arm 7c, which is pivoted upon a frame and is adapted to swing vertically, so that the upper roll may be swung upward away from the tape. A Aspring Z bears down upon arm 7c and keeps the upper roll normally pressed down upon the tape, holdingthelat- ICO ter in engagement with the lower rolls. An adjustable stop m, carried by arm and bearing upon an adjacent part of the frame, enables the pressure of the upper roll to be regulated. One of the lower rolls runs idly upon its shaft and the other is fixed to its shaft n, which latter is journaled in the adjacent frame and carries on its opposite end a gearwheel o. Meshing with gear o is a gear p, carried by the hour-shaft of a suitable clock mechanism q, supported conveniently in the frame. Connecting two sprockets r, one being mounted on shaft a and the otheron shaft c, is a sprocket-chain s, whereby the motor t' is connected up to the clock mechanism proper and to the feed devices proper. 3y thus connecting up the motor t' with the feed devices said motoris made to perform theentirc work of feeding the tape through the machine, the clock mechanism proper simply serving to govern or regulate the movement thereof, the advantage of which arrangement is that the clock mechanism will be thereby run with greater accuracy. It is not essential, however, that a separate motor be employed, as the spring in the eloekworks can be made vsu fliciently strong to perform the work of feeding the tape.

One of the feed-rollers, preferably the one carried by the driven shaft u, is provided on its face with an annular series of teeth t, which puncture the tape as the same passes between the rolls, and thereby indelibly records thereon thetime divisions. ln thepresent device these divisions are minutes, every fifth tooth being omitted for convenience in counting the divisions on the tape. The roll carrying these teeth will of course be rotated once every hour; but of course it will be understood thatitmay be rotated faster or slower if smaller or larger divisions of time be required to be recorded. 'lhe teeth t work in suitable annular grooves a iu the other roll, and all the rolls may be suitably roughened or serrated to insure perfect feed.

Supported upon the frame between the feedrolls and spool c is guide box. or channel t', through which the tape is drawn. \Vhile the tape is passing through this box or guide, it is operated upon by the whistle and bell-ringing recording devices, such recording devices consisting in the present instance of suitable punches that puncture or mutilate the tape, so as to render it diflicult of alteration, dac. rlhe punch that records the ringing of the bell consists of a vertical rod uf, mounted in a suitable barrel su, fastened to the upper side of the guide 'U and adapted to pass down through the upper side of the same, through the paper, and into a depression below the paper, the lower end ofthe rod being suitably pointed and a spring U being employed to normally hold the punch up out of engagement with the paper. A vertical rod is supported in the frame at a point adjacent the punch u and is held normally up by a spring af, this rod being provided with an arm b at its upper end, extending laterally over the upper end of the punch w, so that when said rod is drawn down said punch will be forced down through the tape. The lower end of said rod is provided with a pin c', which works through a vertical slot in the frame and is engaged by a lever d', pivoted on an adjacent part of the frame. Upon the free end of lever d is pivoted an extension or pawl e, which is normally depressed at its free end and is allowed a limited vertical pivotal movement independently of lever d by means of a suitable stop-pin f, carried by lever d' and working in a slotin pawll e at a point beyond the pivot. The pawl and lever are depressed at each portion of the punch by means of a suitable cam g, carried on the inner end of a shaft h', journaled upon the base ol the machine. rlhis shaft 7L" carries a pulley zw, upon which is wound an operating-cord j', said cord being kept normally wound upon the ypulley by means of a suitable torsional spring k'.

The operation of the bell-ringing punch is obvious. The cordj' is to be connected tothe bell-cord so that whenever the bell-cord is pulled the pulley "t" will be revolved suiciently to cause cam g to engage pawl c and depress lever d and force the punch through the paper. Then the bell-cord is released, cord j will be automatically wound up upon pulley fi', the cani g' being allowed to rot-ate freely backward by reason of the pivoting of the pawl or extension c'.

The whistle-recording devices consist of an upper die Z, threaded through a suitable sleeve or barrel fastened to the upper side of guide y1: and extending through a suitable opening in said upper side of guide r, and supported in a suitable depending barrel 911', carried by the lower side of guide t1, is a punch-rod a', carrying upon its upper end a central tooth o,adapted to entera corresponding recess in the die l', and a supplemental pointor punch p adjacent the central punch and adapted to entera circular groove in the die l when the punch-rod is forced up. The rod a' is angular in cross-section and lits within a sleeve (j, which latter is supported and rotates in the pendent barrel m', said sleeve being supported within the barrel by a flange at its upper end and the rod being supported in the sleeve by means of a suitable [lange carried at its extreme upper end and resting upon the upper end of sleeve q'. The points ot' punches o' and p' normally rest just below the bottom ot guide t', so as not to interfere with the free passage of the tape. Fixed to sleeve q just below barrel on/ is agear-wheel o", and below this wheel are fixed a ring and cap s' and t', said wheel and ring and cap being adapted to rotate with sleeve q and rod n. Surrounding rod n below cap t is a coilspring u', which normally holds the punches away from the paper.

'To raise the punch when the whistle-cord is pulled, any suitable devices may be employed. I prefer to use a lever t", pivoted upon IOO IIO

the frame and having its free end extending under the lower end of rod n and kept normally depressed lby a spring w'. Lever fr is raised by means of lateral pins ai, carried by a disk y', 'fixed to a horizontal shaft z', jonrnaled near the base of the apparatus under lever t'. Shaft e' is rotated by means of a cord a2, wound upon a pulley h2, journaled y loosely upon said shaft e", said pulley being provided with a spring-pawl adapted to engage a ratchet-wheel c2, carried by the shaft j .2", said ratchet insuring the wheel and the l shaft rotating together in one direction and permitting the wheel to rotate independently l The cord ais adapted to be attached to the whistleof the shaft in the reverse direction.

cord, so that when the latter is pulled wheel h2 will be rotated until its stop-pin 021 strikes against stop d2 on the base, which will be far wheel h2 is returned by springf2 its pawl will ride freely over the ratchet-wheel c72 and the` shaft e" will be locked against rotation backwardby the pin which happens to be in engagement with shoulder e2 in lever o'. Thus at each pull on the cord a2 the punch will be :forced through the paper, the central punch makinga central opening and the outer punch l p' making an opening in the paper at one side of the center.

Mcshing with wheel of" is a pinion g? on a short vertical shaft h2, the lower end of this shaft carrying a small crown-wheel i2, which meshes with a pinion j?, journaled on a stubthe shaft e'.

shal't fixed to the adjacent frame, and this pinion meshes with a pinion if?, carried by By this simple arrangement of gearing the punch will be rotated every time the cord a2 is pulled, whereby at each reciprocation of the punch the supplemental punch lp' will puncture the tape at a new place alongside the previous puncture, these supplemental punctures being arranged in a circle around the main or center puncture, whereby the number ot' times the cord a2 is pulled will be registered on the tape by the circular series of punctures and the time at which it is pulled will be registered by the central puncture. If the intervals between the pulls on the whistle-cord be snfiiciently long to permit the tape to move far enough to carrythe central puncture away from the punch, the central punch will of course make another puncture and a new series of supplemental punctures will be begun.

It will be observed that the record-tape may be of any desired length. I prefer, however,

that it be long enough to receive the record of several-say eight-days whereby the ordinary eight-day clock-movement may be employed; I prefer to print upon the tape hour divisions and also the days ol the week 5 but it is evident that tape without divisions may be employed; but in this case it will of course be desirable to provide the toothed 'feed-wheel with a larger or different-shaped tooth for convenience in counting the hours on the tape, said larger or different-shaped tooth of course making a puncture at each revolution of the hour-wheel. Such an enlarged tooth is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 at m2. The advantage of thus impressing indelibly into the tape suitable time divisions synchronously with the punching operations is that greater accuracy, which is of course absolutely essential in a machine of this sort,will be obtained. If the divisions of time, especially the smaller divisions, were first printed or otherwise marked upon the tape, there would be greater likelihood of error,because of the practical impossibility of having the printing or other marking apparatus always in eX- act synchronywith the clock mechanism and feed-rolls of the reeordingdeviees, and, again, the length of thepaper will vary constantly with the atmospheric changes, and the texture of the paper will also vary and render errorlikely. Errors such as these are avoided by having the feed mechanism of the recording device make its own time divisions upon the record-tape, thereby eliminating` all error except that which will be due to variations in the clockworks in the recording apparatus. Should the hour and day divisions be first printed on the tape, as shown in the drawings, any discrepancy between the minute unctures and said divisions may be readily e iminated by a simple mental calculation.

As will be seen by reference to Fig. 8, the line of punctures indicating the minute divisions run along near one edge of the tape, the bell-ringing p unctures (designated by letter n2) close to said minute punctu res, and the punctures indicating the whistle blowing near the other edge of the strip, these latter punctures being designated by the letter o2; but it will be obvious that the arrangement of the punctures will-be varied to any reasonable extent. The time at which the whistle is blown is ascertained by drawing a transverse line from the central puncture of each group across to the punctures indicating the minute divisions, and the number of times the Whistle is blown is ascertained by counting the number of outer punctures. It will be observed that thetwo punch-points .p and o may be connected together by a radial rib, as shown in Fig. l0; but in this case the face of the die Z will of course be provided with a suitable number of radial grooves to receive the radial rib.

It will be observed that this machine is capable of other uses than recording the ringing of a locomotive-bell and the blowing of the whistle of the locomotive, and I therefore do not desire to be coniined in that respect. It will also be observed that the punches p IOO IIO

and 0' may be made in different shapes, such as crescent or star shaped or in the shape of a letter of the alphabet, so that each machine may have an individual character contained in no other machine on the same railroad, thereby enabling the record of each engine on the road to be kept distinct from the other records.

It will be further observed that the time divisions may be impressed in the tape immediately before or at the same time with the punching operations by mounting the feed devices between the feed-spool and the punches or coincidently with the latter.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. ln a time-recording apparatus, the combination of a series of feed-rolls adapted to grasp a record-tape, one of said rolls being provided with a series of puncturing-teeth adapted to automatically record upon the tape a continuous series of time divisions, clock mechanism operating and controlling` said feed-rolls, other recording devices adapted to be operated manually and at the will of the operator an d in dependently of the clock mechanism, these latter recording devices consisting of two recording-points and means for operating them simultaneously, and means whereby one of said points will record the time and the other` the number of times the manually-operated recording devices are operated.

2. ln a time-recording apparatus, the coinbination of mechanism for feeding a recordtape, means for continuously marking time divisions upon said tape, clock mechanism for feeding said tape, a recording-punch adapted to be brought into operation at intervals, said punch having two punctnring-points, and means whereby one of the points will punch the time and the other the number of times the punch is operated, as and for the purposes set forth.

3. ln a time-recording device, the combination of means controlled by clock mechanism for moving a recordsheet, a puncturing de vice consisting of two puncturing-points, and means for forcing said puneturilig-points into the record-sheet and rotating them at cach operation, whereby the time the pnncturing device is operated and the number of times will be recorded.

l. The combination of mechanism controlled by clockworks for moving a recordsheet, means for recording` upon the tape a continuous series of time divisions, said means being also controlled by the clockworks, and a punching device consisting of a rotary part carrying a central punch and a non-central punch, and means for rotating said part and forcing the punches into the sheet.

5. The combination of feed-rolls adapted to feed a record-tape and clockworks for controlling the same, a punching device consisting essentially of a die supported upon one side of the tape and a rotary reciprocating punch-carrying rod upon the other side el' the tape, and means for operating said rod, said punch-carrying rod being provided with means for puncturingthe paper at anew place at each reciprocation, as and for the purposes set forth.

Signed by me, at Tashingtoin in the District 

